(no subject)
Lt Ehren Watada is the first officer to oppose the War in Iraq
His trial, his stance and the arguments his defense plan on posing are monumental in the much needed redefinition of american rights and values. If he loses this trial he faces 6 years in prison and the american people will be slapped in the face with the realities of this war. His defenders seek to put the war in Iraq on trial and question it's validity. Watada is standing up for democracy, freedom and the well being of americans everywhere. He is truly supporting the troops in stating that it is absolutely uncalled for that we are losing so many lives in this unproven, falsely begun war. I'm sure he will be attacked harshly from many sides, and I take it as part of my responsibility as an american worried about her life, the lively hood of her country, and the world to at least keep his name on my mind and in my heart. He is truly fighting for my freedom, and his trail will force a lot of the facts about this war out into the open.
I never imagined that a solider would stand agianst this war. I thought we wouldn't have any objectors unless there was a draft. This story gives me so much hope and excitement for the potential of the future in this country. After the midterm elections and rumsfields release maybe there is hope for change, this is probably a good time to get dreams together and keep them in our hearts. Maybe ten years from now we will look back at this situation as a country that was on the edge of being allied with Hitler, the Holocaust and the denying, apathetic, scared, and compliant german/global public that enabled the horrors of that time, but woke up and remembered what the possibilities are, that woke up and remembered what our responsibilities are, that woke up and said "no, we will not learn this lesson twice". We can make that difference. If we so decide.
Is this man brave? Maybe. But maybe he just has the clarity to see that if he goes to Iraq he will most likely die, we are losing that war, and even english advisors state that victory is impossible. More people are dying everyday as we persist in our attempt to dominate that land and those people. On CNN I see everyday the declining prospects of any success of this war, how many lives/rights have we already lost, and taken away?
His defense team also plans to cite the Nuremberg tribunals' ruling that following orders from a superior officer does not exculpate soldiers from the consequences of their actions....Yesterday Lt Watada said every officer had a duty to consider whether they could serve in a campaign that made troops a party to war crimes. It was "the responsibility and obligation of members of the military" not to follow "unlawful and immoral orders"
What if we altered that statement to: "every citizen of democracy has a duty to consider whether they can cooperate/support in a society or system that makes them a party to war crimes. It is "the responsibility and obligation of members of a democratic country" not to support "unlawful and immoral orders" would we be able to stand up against critique and if not, can we make some small changes in our lives or minds to feel more comfortable within those parameters?
Here's the articles url (it's linked above, but just incase...) = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/22/wusarmy22.xml
some footage of things you might otherwise not know about.
and in case you missed it I don't know what rape has to do with defending our freedom
and she's not alone.
His trial, his stance and the arguments his defense plan on posing are monumental in the much needed redefinition of american rights and values. If he loses this trial he faces 6 years in prison and the american people will be slapped in the face with the realities of this war. His defenders seek to put the war in Iraq on trial and question it's validity. Watada is standing up for democracy, freedom and the well being of americans everywhere. He is truly supporting the troops in stating that it is absolutely uncalled for that we are losing so many lives in this unproven, falsely begun war. I'm sure he will be attacked harshly from many sides, and I take it as part of my responsibility as an american worried about her life, the lively hood of her country, and the world to at least keep his name on my mind and in my heart. He is truly fighting for my freedom, and his trail will force a lot of the facts about this war out into the open.
I never imagined that a solider would stand agianst this war. I thought we wouldn't have any objectors unless there was a draft. This story gives me so much hope and excitement for the potential of the future in this country. After the midterm elections and rumsfields release maybe there is hope for change, this is probably a good time to get dreams together and keep them in our hearts. Maybe ten years from now we will look back at this situation as a country that was on the edge of being allied with Hitler, the Holocaust and the denying, apathetic, scared, and compliant german/global public that enabled the horrors of that time, but woke up and remembered what the possibilities are, that woke up and remembered what our responsibilities are, that woke up and said "no, we will not learn this lesson twice". We can make that difference. If we so decide.
Is this man brave? Maybe. But maybe he just has the clarity to see that if he goes to Iraq he will most likely die, we are losing that war, and even english advisors state that victory is impossible. More people are dying everyday as we persist in our attempt to dominate that land and those people. On CNN I see everyday the declining prospects of any success of this war, how many lives/rights have we already lost, and taken away?
His defense team also plans to cite the Nuremberg tribunals' ruling that following orders from a superior officer does not exculpate soldiers from the consequences of their actions....Yesterday Lt Watada said every officer had a duty to consider whether they could serve in a campaign that made troops a party to war crimes. It was "the responsibility and obligation of members of the military" not to follow "unlawful and immoral orders"
What if we altered that statement to: "every citizen of democracy has a duty to consider whether they can cooperate/support in a society or system that makes them a party to war crimes. It is "the responsibility and obligation of members of a democratic country" not to support "unlawful and immoral orders" would we be able to stand up against critique and if not, can we make some small changes in our lives or minds to feel more comfortable within those parameters?
Here's the articles url (it's linked above, but just incase...) = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/22/wusarmy22.xml
some footage of things you might otherwise not know about.
and in case you missed it I don't know what rape has to do with defending our freedom
and she's not alone.